Long Saturday

Vienna Travel Blog

Today was a long day. I hate to say it, but things were getting a little old at points. It was good nonetheless.

We had class this morning and it was... class. We took our test and I did very well, so yay. We loaded the bus from there and went straight to the famous music academy here in Austria (I forget what it's called!) to have a private concert and explanation of the music by one of their best piano teachers, who was an American. We truly were very priveleged to hear very talented students play pieces throughout music history on different pianos in order to learn the history of piano music. And to be doing it in such a renowned place.

It was very exciting, especially being a piano player myself, but it got really hot really fast and it did drag on a little bit (they must have never installed AC in such an old building).

Palace where Haydn Worked

After this we took a bus ride to the emperor's palace outside of Vienna where Haydn worked and basically became famous. Today was the hottest day we've had so far on the trip. To be out in the heat on another tour exhausted from everything to hear about a place where Haydn was at one point in his life, was admittingly, less than exciting. I know I may sound less than enthusiastic when I should be more excited, but understand that I was tired from studying the night before and I have seen so many palaces and museums that they are beginning to run together. I guess I am just loosing my enthusiasm or I am just ready to start traveling on my own.

But I am still very happy to be in Vienna and Europe! I (and several other people) decided to take a nap after this visit instead of going straight back into the city.

Small Austrian Town in Countryside where Palace was.

So I did this and met up with one of my study abroad friends, John- the guy I usually go running with. We were planning to meet up with Bill in the city, but unfortunately the trains from the airport are not very timely and so we barely missed him. So it was kind of funny to John and I when we found a restaurant and sat down for dinner (the restaurant only used candles- ha) and it was just the two of us.

But the dinner quickly turned into manliness when we casually ordered a dish that only serves two and is full of meat. We apparently didn't know what we were getting into when we gawked at what the server brought out- a long wooden board piled very high with meat. There was pork, beef, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, with fries and rice (and something that looked like salad- I think it was just garnish).

Pile of meat for dinner. Before...

This was seriously the manliest meal I have ever eaten. It was good and my hunger is satisfied for a while.

Once again a planned meet up failed when we couldn't find a group that we were supposed to go out with after dinner. They never showed, but we found two other guys from the trip and so we went to a bar. This was actually my first bar experience, my first beer in Europe, and probably my 4th beer ever. It was very good! Having not aquired a taste yet for beer, I actually enjoyed drinking this one! And being the house beer, it was very cheap.

After that we caught the train back to our hotel. I am actually sitting in Vienna airport on the floor against a wall using the free wireless they have here to type and post this. It's funny what we'll do save money and get internet.